It will also be able to monitor land temperature and colour and tiny particles (aerosols) in the atmosphere.

Global sea level change measured by satellite radar altimeters between 1993 and 2015. Note that the change is not the same everywhere, and that it the numbers are mostly positive, indicating sea level rise.

Mediterranean Sea Ocean Colour 2011 – Courtesy of CMEMS. Ocean colour is used to map the abundance of tiny marine plants (phytoplankton) the basis of the marine food chain. On the image, red indicates highest abundance of phytoplankton and blue indicates lowest abundance.

How will data from Sentinel-3A be used?

The marine data that Sentinel-3 collects will be used to help monitor the oceans and for weather forecasting. It will also help people to manage marine ecosystems e.g., fish stocks, and to monitor water quality and pollution.

On top of that, the data will be used to help map sea ice, help ships find the best routes and for climate monitoring.

On the land, Sentinel-3 data will be used to track how land is being used, to monitor vegetation, measure the height of rivers and lakes, and monitor wildfires.

Who will operate Sentinel-3A?

EUMETSAT will operate the satellite and deliver the marine data while ESA will deliver the land data.

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About EUMETSAT

EUMETSAT is a global operational satellite agency at the heart of Europe. Our purpose is to gather accurate and reliable satellite data on weather, climate and the environment around the clock, and to deliver them to our Member and Cooperating States, to our international partners and to users world-wide.